Codex vs Gemini Code Assist: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Codex vs Gemini Code Assist comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
Codex is an AI agent and a CLI-based coding agent from OpenAI — asynchronous autonomous coding agent. Gemini Code Assist is an editor extension from Google — google's ai coding assistant.
Codex🏆 Approved
OpenAI's autonomous coding agent. Available via web, desktop app (macOS), CLI (macOS/Linux/Windows), and VS Code extension.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
Free / $8/mo · 6 plans
Gemini Code Assist
Google's AI-powered coding assistant built on Gemini. Provides code completions, chat, code transformations, and full codebase awareness in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Code transformations
- ✓ Codebase awareness
- ✓ Pull request summaries
Free / $19/mo · 6 plans
| Feature | Codex | Gemini Code Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Agent / CLI | Extension |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | GPT / Codex | Gemini |
| Agentic Mode | ✓ | — |
| Multi-File Editing | ✓ | — |
| Terminal Commands | ✓ | — |
| Open Source | Yes (CLI) | No |
Pricing verified Feb 25, 2026. Codex pricing | Gemini Code Assist pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Codex is an AI agent and a CLI-based coding agent; Gemini Code Assist is an editor extension.
- Starting price: Codex starts at $8/mo; Gemini Code Assist starts at $19/mo.
- Model family: Codex uses GPT / Codex; Gemini Code Assist uses Gemini.
- Agentic mode: Codex supports agentic mode; Gemini Code Assist does not.
- Open source: Codex: Yes (CLI). Gemini Code Assist: No.
- Bring your own key: Codex supports BYOK; Gemini Code Assist does not.
- Platforms: Codex runs on Linux, Web, Windows (experimental), macOS; Gemini Code Assist runs on Desktop, Web.
- Provider: Codex is built by OpenAI; Gemini Code Assist is built by Google.
- Capabilities: Codex has multi-file editing; Codex has terminal commands.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Codex if you want asynchronous coding tasks you can fire off and review when ready. Choose Gemini Code Assist if you want deep integration with Google Cloud services and infrastructure. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.